This is one of Achebe’s lesser known works. Girls at War and Other Stories is a collection of 11 Short Stories written between 1953 and 1970. Similar to his other works, the stories have an underpinning of societal observations within the Igbo culture; whether exploring inter-tribal marriages, the effect of the civil war, the clash between colonialsm and indigenous Igbo culture  or democracy and the polity. In each of the stories, Achebe is commenting as an astute observer of the world around him.

While Achebe has no other Short Stories collection, it is obvious to see that these were earlier works and less polished compared to his more famous novels. The plotand character development in some of the stories are not fully formed, while some of the earlier stories in the collection are just plain flat. Like most Short Stories collection, there are hits and misses. While the hits are not particularly spectacular, I would recommend Marriage is a Private Affair, Vengeful Creditor and Girls At War. A massive bonus for the collection is that one of the Short Stories references my village! Considering how unpopular my village is, that was a pleasant surprise when I read. Yet, this is not highly recommended.

2.9/5

 

 

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